TigsTown Q&A: Blaise Salter

Mark Anderson

06/12/2011

The Detroit Tigers are known for selecting players with organizational ties late in the MLB draft. That trend continued in 2011 when the Tigers selected Blaise Salter. A catcher out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Salter is the grandson of Tigers great Bill Freehan, and he took some time out of his recent trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY to chat with TigsTown.

TigsTown: First things first, how does it feel to be drafted by the Tigers?

Blaise Salter: It's an honor to be drafted by any team at all. To be drafted by the Tigers though, the team my grandfather played for is a real honor. The team has such a rich history. I can't really put it into words how special this is.

TT: Did you have an inkling the Tigers were going to draft you or were there other teams interested in you?

BS: The Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers were also interested.

TT: Were you kind of secretly hoping the Tigers would be the team that pulled the trigger, or did you just want to get drafted?

BS: I didn't care what round or what team. I just wanted to be drafted. As I said before though, it makes it a lot more special that it was the Tigers that drafted me.

TT: Do you currently have a college commitment?

BS: I signed a national letter of intent with Michigan State University.

TT: I know it's early, but have you and your family given any thought to whether you are going to sign with the Tigers are join the Spartans this fall?

BS: As of now, I'm going to MSU. We haven't had any formal discussions with the Tigers about the money aspects yet. Right now I'm just looking forward to being a Spartan!

TT: How would you describe yourself as a player?

BS: I would describe myself as a team player. I'm a person that leads teams and drives others to go out and win games.

TT: How about in terms of your skills, how would you describe yourself offensively and defensively?

BS: Offensively, I'm a guy that looks to drive people in. I've always hit third or fourth in the lineup and when there are runners on I want to drive them in. When nobody is on base, I just want to drive the ball from gap to gap. Defensively, I see myself as a leader. I like leading my pitchers and defense.

TT: Here's your chance for the last word in the interview. What do you want to tell Tiger fans?

BS: You can't put into words how excited I am to be drafted by the Tigers; the team my grandfather played for. It means so much! It's been a dream of mine to play professional baseball and be a part of the home town team my whole life. It's just such a blessing.

TigsTown would like to thank Blaise for taking time out of his schedule to talk for a few minutes. We wish him the best of luck in any negotiations with the Tigers and look forward to following him on the field as a Tiger or a Spartan!